May 5th: “Vote 2 End H8 March for Action” Calls For End of Hateful Anti-Latino Rhetoric By Political Candidates
AHF’s Latino Outreach and Understanding Division (LOUD) Launches
National Campaign In Support of Latino Voter Registration, Political
Empowerment to Address Health Disparities
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AHF–With an eye towards the California primary on June 7th, the
upcoming national political party conventions and the November
presidential election, AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and its Latino
Outreach and Understanding Division (LOUD) will host a march and
rally on Thursday, May 5th from 4-6 PM
in downtown Los Angeles to launch Vote
2 End H8, a new public awareness campaign and voter registration
drive to draw attention to how hateful, anti-immigrant rhetoric by
political candidates contributes to ongoing health disparities and
disproportionate rates of HIV/AIDS in Latino communities.
The Vote 2 End H8 campaign will be launched with a March For Action
on May 5th in the historic La Placita Olvera district of downtown Los
Angeles with plans to expand to additional U.S. cities during the 2016
campaign season.
|
What: |
| Vote 2 End H8 March For Action |
| #V2EH8 |
|
When: |
| May 5th, 2016 |
| 4 – 6PM |
|
Where: |
| Meeting/ending point: |
| La Placita Church |
| 535 N. Main St. |
| Los Angeles, CA 90012 |
March route: Begin at La Placita Church, march to Edward R.
Roybal Federal Building (via N. Los Angeles St. to E. Aliso St.) and
back to La Placita Church.
March round-trip total distance: approx. 0.6 miles
|
Who: |
|
AIDS Healthcare Foundation staff, volunteers, mobilizers |
|
Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation |
|
Hector Torres, chairman of LOUD |
|
BIENESTAR staff and volunteers |
|
Voto Latino |
|
Sergio C. Garcia, attorney |
|
Other guest speakers (TBD) |
B-ROLL: Diverse marchers carrying “Vote 2 End H8” signs
and banners; voter registration at La Placita Church before and after
march; guest speakers and crowd at La Placita Church rally following the
march.
“We’ve been bombarded by particularly nasty threats and fearmongering
against Latinos in this presidential election season,” said AIDS
Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein. “When
political candidates threaten to deport Latinos, they create a sense of
fear that keeps Latino families in the shadows and away from seeking the
care they need from the U.S. health care system. Despite the fact that
Latinos are three times more likely to be infected with HIV than whites,
they will not come forward for testing and treatment if they fear being
turned over to immigration authorities. AHF has launched the Vote 2 End
H8 campaign to call for people to demand that our political candidates
and elected officials stop using language that incites fear or hatred
against Latino and immigrant communities.”
Despite the fact that Latinos now make up 12% of the U.S. electorate—up
from 10% in 2012—only 48% have voted in past elections, according to the Pew
Research Center. In California, 28% of eligible voters are Latino,
with one-third of eligible Latino voters in the state being between the
ages of 18-29.
“In 2016, there will be a record 27 million Latinos who are eligible to
vote in this year’s elections. Yet, fewer than half of all eligible
Latino voters have voted in past presidential elections,” explains Hector
Torres, chairman of LOUD. “We see the Vote 2 End H8 campaign as a
chance to start a national conversation and encourage eligible
Latinos—especially U.S. born ‘millennials’ who make up the largest share
of eligible Latino voters but who have historically turned out at the
lowest rates—to exercise their right to vote. With this year’s elections
playing a pivotal role in the direction of our country, Latinos must not
be afraid to vote and choose leaders who are genuinely concerned about
the well-being of our families and communities.”
Individuals or parties interested in joining the Vote 2 End H8 March
For Action on May 5th can register here.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS
organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over
605,000 individuals in 36 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin
America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn
more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org,
find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth
and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare
and Instagram: @aidshealthcare
AHF’s Latino Outreach and Understanding Division (LOUD) stands in
solidarity with Latino communities across the United States in response
to the hateful anti-immigration rhetoric during the current election
year. As a global public health organization we understand the
intersection between personal health behaviors and public policy.
Immigration status, access to healthcare, education opportunities,
poverty, and HIV/AIDS still remain a threat to the well-being of Latino
communities across the nation. LOUD understands the urgency of
initiating dialogue around these social determinants of health in an
effort to finding a solution, not only within the realm of public
health, but within the political arena as well.
In the United States, Latino communities are disproportionately affected
by HIV/AIDS (SOURCE: CDC):
-
Latinos comprise 21% of all new HIV infections, yet represent 16% of
the total U.S. population. -
U.S.-born Latinos account for 48% of those living with HIV in the
U.S., followed by Latinos born in Mexico (20%) and those born in
Puerto Rico (15%). -
Over a third of Latinos (36%) were tested for HIV late in their
illness – that is, diagnosed with AIDS within one year of testing
positive; by comparison, 31% of Blacks and 32% of whites were tested
late. - 20% of all new HIV infections are among youth between ages 18-24.
-
Latinos are 3 times more likely to be infected with HIV than that of
their white counterparts. -
Approximately 1 in 50 Latinos will be diagnosed with HIV within their
lifetime. -
86% of Latinos living with HIV reside within 10 states; New York and
California leading the list.
Contacts
AHF
Ged Kenslea, Senior Director, Communications
+1.323.308.1833
work
+1.323.791.5526 mobile
gedk@aidshealth.org
or
Christopher
Johnson, Associate Director of Communications
+1.323.960.4846
work
+1.310.880.9913 mobile
christopher.johnson@aidshealth.org
